SRINAGAR, June 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today opposed any diversion of surplus water from three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, to Punjab through a proposed 113 km-long canal.
“I will never permit this. Let us use our water for ourselves first… There is a drought-like situation in Jammu,” Abdullah said.
“As per the Indus Water treaty (IWT), three rivers were given to Punjab, and we weren’t given a drop of water by them when we needed it the most. We have got some water after putting up a fight through the Shahpur Kandi barrage project, but now I will not allow diverting the water of Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab.”
He said that at present, Jammu requires water as the taps are running dry.
“My priority will be to provide water to people of Jammu and Kashmir, and we are working on lifting the water from Akhnoor towards Jammu and also on the Tulbul navigation barrage,” he added.
Media reports said that the central government had decided to divert water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty for use in the northern states of Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
Jal Shakti Ministry is working on infrastructure development on a war footing to implement the decision. The objective of the Jal Shakti Ministry is to ensure that not a single drop of water meant for Pakistan goes to waste. The report surfaced last month after India launched Operation Sindoor and officially suspended its adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty.
Recently, India launched a feasibility study for a proposed 113 km canal aimed at diverting surplus water from the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
The proposed canal is expected to link with existing canal infrastructure at 13 different points, enabling efficient water distribution across regions.
It is designed to optimise the utilisation of India’s share of waters from both the eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, and the western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, under the Indus Waters Treaty.
India has suspended the six-decade-old Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack in J&K’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were brutally killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
Earlier, Omar Abdullah has also called for the revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project on Wullar Lake, which has remained stalled for decades due to objections under the Indus Waters Treaty.